200 Seeds CHEROKEE PURPLE – Certified Organic Heirloom Tomato Seeds

Description

200 Seeds CHEROKEE PURPLE – Certified Organic Heirloom Tomato Seeds, Solanum lycopersicum, 80 days, indeterminate, 8-13 oz average weight germination rate 99%; tested 1/25/2022 Cherokee Purple is the name of a cultivar of tomato that develops a fruit with a deep, dusky-rose color while maintaining a somewhat greenish hue near the stem when mature for eating. The deep crimson interior and clear skin combination give it its distinctive color. It was one of the first of the darker color group of tomatoes sometimes described as “blacks”; the variety Purple Calabash, with its highly irregularly shaped fruits, arose in a very few seed catalogs in the mid 1900s. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange was the first seed company to offer Cherokee Purple, released in limited quantity in 1993. Cherokee Purple tomatoes are beefsteak in style. They are also notable for having a dense, juicy texture, with small seed locules irregularly scattered throughout the flesh. The comparatively dark interior color is enhanced by the tendency of the seeds to be surrounded by green gel. It is one of several tomatoes whose flesh stays green when it ripens; the skin color is yellow, which provides a guide to indicate when the tomato is ripe and ready for harvest.  Tomato growing tips: – start the seeds indoor say four weeks before the last frost; use organic jiffy seed starting mix, heating pad and grow light if possible – at 3 weeks old, move seedlings to cold frame if outdoor temperature permits – transplant say two weeks after the last frost – seedling should be spaced 24″ apart; rows should be spaced at least 4′ apart; – plant the seedling deep, cover the soil to the first set of true leaves – each hill should have 12-18″ well drained soil with lots of organic matters – mulch the tomato plants over time, cover each row with weed blocking fabric or black plastic could warm soil temperature and promote growth – need staking support (or tomato cage) to hold the branches upright, especially when loaded with pounder fruits.